Tuesday, September 20, 2011

So basically, I am freaking excited to be holding a Lomography giveaway here on Austin Eavesdropper. Imagine me, bursting into your home or office with a jazz-hand shuffle, a double-pirouette that ends in a six-foot-high toe touch, and then you will have a pretty accurate picture of my degree of excitement.

"Wow, why is she so excited?" you ask. Very reasonable. See, I have long been a fan of film and toy cameras, and currently own a Holga, a Diana F+ (with an Instaback), and my newest, La Sardina. In lieu of a guest book at our wedding, we strung a clothesline in between some branches, had each guest take their picture with a Polaroid, and hang up their Polaroid plus a little note in the tree. My affection for film runs deep.

But ... I'm actually not a great photographer. With film.

However. That is all changing, because Lomography is opening up shop here in Austin! On Congress Ave! Their grand opening is in late October, and there will also be a grand opening party around that time. Guess who will be there. ME.

Well ... I agree. But I can't take credit for them, really. I owe my marked improvement in toy camera photography to this man:

Meet Cameron Russell, the Austin rep for Lomography. He manages the store coming to Austin, and teaches photography classes there, too. I sat down with Cameron, and he showed me how to properly use my Diana. I told him, "Each photography is a completely white square." Which is, as you might surmise, incorrect. Seeing as how I wasn't taking pictures of blank pieces of paper.

But Cameron made a few little adjustments, showed me how to do the same. I took it with me to Wimberley, et voila! Lovely, soft photographs. He also taught me how to shoot with a La Sardina, which produced all the photos you see above.

Here it is in my hand, for scale.

Would you like to win a La Sardina? So you can create something magical, like this?